Leverage Chapter 2
by HuttonFord
Summary: Sterling in Nate are in this story. Definitely NO SLASH! Please read if ur into this kindof thing!


"Just give me the key card and this'll all be through "

Sterling kicked Nate's limp form and the mastermind recoiled.

"Uhhh." He groaned at the pain in his chest.

"Where is it, Nate?" Sterling figured if he broke Nate just the right amount then he'd comply and give him the key card and he'd be able to get The Golden Dagger and sell it on the black market.

"Can't...tell you..." Nate sputtered as he fought for each breath he took.

 _That's it, Nate!_ He told himself. _Eliot and the team are on their way! This'll be over in a second. Just keeping selling your act._

Sterling gave a rueful sigh. "Oh, Nate. Don't look so confident. You think your team is gonna come to your rescue?"

Nate sputtered blood out of his mouth.

"I'll tell you something..." Sterling pulled a gun out of his waistband.

"I don't think your team..." He sat on a wobbly chair that he got from the corner of the warehouse.

"...will wanna take you back home with you all banged up like this..."

Nate knew that Sterling was toying with his mind. He wasn't going to let him. But a tiny thought did reel him off his balance.

 _What if Sophie doesn't love me. What if she was just using me? No! They were a team and they were a family._

"W-We're a t-team..." He sputtered.

Sterling sighed before getting up and kicking Nate in the same ribs.

Nate coughed raggedly, trying to catch his breath. He groaned at the pain. Clutching his ribs tightly he spoke.

"W-We're a...f-family..."

Sterling shook his head ruefully as he sat back down.

"No, Nate. They're not. They're thieves, okay! They don't care about you...or your life. They steal. That's what they do for a living...They don't love you...Now, give me the key card..."

 _Do they really love me? We're supposed to be a family._ _Were they lying to me all of this time?!_

His heart ached from the pressure. "Th-They don't?" Nate tried desperately not to fall into Sterling's trap, but it hurt too much to think that his team- his family were pretending to love him all this time.

"No, Nate! They're corrupt! They're thieves! How could they ever love you. They lie, steal, and cheat for a living!"

Sterling waved the gun angrily in his hand.

"But w-why would they...w-why would th-they lie...a-all this t-time?" Nate thought out loud.

 _Do they actually love me? Hardison? Parker? Eliot? Sophie? Do they love me?_

He felt like breaking down and drowning his sorrows.

"Nate. They haven't been loving you and won't ever. Give me the key card." Sterling raised his voice at the end, impatiently.

"How c-could they h-have..."

"I've had enough of this! Where's the damn key card?!" Sterling pointed his gun.

"I-I...The key card?" Nate looked confused.

"Yes! The damn key card!!" Sterling shouted. His voice loud and the bang from the gun echoing off the walls of the warehouse.

Nate's breathing hitched and he writhed on the ground.

He gritted his teeth and forced his breathing steady.

"I'm going to ask you one more time!! Where is the key card?!!"

Nate didn't answer. He couldn't. Foremost, cause of the pain. And because it was getting increasingly hard to breath with his blood lodged in throat.

Sterling aimed his gun at Nate's leg and fired.

At the same time the wooden doors to the warehouse burst open to reveal Eliot and Parker!

They both jumped into action. Eliot taking out Sterling and Parker at Nate's side, checking for major complications.

It was only a matter of time until Sterling was dead with a bullet lodged into between his eyes. Eliot quickly made his way over to Nate's deathly pale body.

"Y-you guys c-came?" The question startled Eliot and Parker. Why wouldn't they have come?

"Of course..." Parker gave a slightly rueful smile while Eliot masked his awe. Parker really was getting better at social skills.

Eliot ripped a piece of his shirt off and tied it around Nate's abdomen where the first bullet was lodged and another piece of his shirt where the second bullet was. Any closer to his knee cap and Nate would've never walked again.

Nate grimaced. "W-Why...?" He began but couldn't continue. Parker shushed. She knew that he had to save his strength.

"All ya' need to know is that we're gonna get ya' back home." Eliot was determined as he picked Nate's prone body up. And he usually accomplished whatever he needed to when he was determined.

Parker and Eliot jogged until they were outside the warehouse. Eliot, careful not to jostle Nate's body too much.

"Where's the chopper?" Parker asked as they both turned in 360s to try and find it.

"Wait, I hear it!" Parker shouts and runs towards the direction of the noise Eliot on her heels.

SIX HOURS LATER

His vision was blurry but his hearing was a great as ever. He heard distinct sounds of Hardison and Parker.

"No! Do not tap him on the face!"

"I wasn't- Just to wake him up?"

"No! No! Woman! Dont ya' learn anythin'?-"

"It just been a long time since I've talked to him!"

"No! No!-"

"Please?"

Parker was now shouting at Hardison and the bickering was getting too loud.

"What's all the fighting 'bout?" Eliot growled.

"Nothing...nothing..." Hardison's voice was cracking. He gave Parker a glare. Parker smiled.

"What're you doing here?" He turned back to Eliot.

Eliot's steps were getting louder and Nate could tell that he was nearing him.

"Gonna check on Nate..."

Once Eliot rounded the corner to the living room Nate shut his eyes and evened his breathing.

Eliot bent down near Nate and opened his eye lids before flashing a light in them.

Nate forced himself not to protest, even though the light burned his eyes.

"He has a minor concussion..."

Those words worried Nate more than anything.

"Concussion- Watcha mean concussion?" Hardison questioned as he walked closer to Eliot. Parker close behind him.

"Relax..."

Parker popped her head in front of Nate's face, checking for any injuries.

"I don't see any concussion..."

Eliot put the flashlight away. "You can't actually see a concussion, Parker."

"But his pupils are dilated and his breathing is irregular...a couple signs that he has a concussion. But I couldn't be sure..."

"Is he okay.." Parker's face immediately turned soft.

"Yeah. As long as he gets sleep and applies ice. He should be fine."

Hardison sighed. "Has Sophie called you, yet?"

Eliot gave a rueful sigh. "Yeah...She said that she won't be able to make it out of France for two weeks."

Hardison rolled his eyes. "You know she's just makin' excuses-"

"Yeah, I know..."

Parker was poking at Nate's face but turned around when she heard Hardison.

"Why would she be making excuses? Wouldn't she want to come home?"

Eliot sighed and shook his head.

Nate was confused. Why would Parker care this much about him if what Sterling was saying was true?

 _Was what Sterling was saying even true?_

 _Why was Eliot, Hardison, and Parker actually caring for me if they didn't love me?_

Nate's heart ached and he realized that his ribs were bandaged and so was his leg.

He groaned barely audible and blinked pretending to be just waking up. "Nate? Hi, Nate!!"

Parker jumped excitedly in Nate's face.

"Parker, chill. Girl." Hardison gently pulled the blond thief off of Nate.

"How ya' feelin'?" Eliot asked. He may not be as good at Grifting as Sophie was but he could tell when someone was lying. Sometimes Nate.

"Like I just been shot twice and kicked in the ribs..." Nate kept his tone cold because...

 _Do they even love me? Can they love? Are they able to? Do I love them even though they might not love me?_

Eliot snickered. And Hardison let go of Parker who jumped to the side of Nate watching him.

"Don't be worried, Nate but you might have a con-" Hardison began but was cut off by Eliots foot hitting his.

"Ow!!" Hardison shouted and looked at the Hitter confused.

"-fusion..." Nate looked confused and tried to sit up but failed. He gave a weak sigh. "I'm not stupid, Eliot..."

To be honest Nate was worried that the team wouldn't love him and he kept his tone as it had been when they had been first working together.

Eliot noticed and clenched his jaw ever so slightly.

Something was wrong the Hitter thought.

"Okay, fine! Concussion...Ya' gotta a concussion..."

Hardison sat on the couch opposite of Nate, nursing his foot.

"I tried to tell him..."

Parker cut Hardison off.

"Is Nate gonna be okay?"

Nate put a hand on his head as a wave of dizziness hit him. "I-I'm fine..."

Eliot rolled his eyes and went into the kitchen to grab some ice.

"Hey, Nate? What's it like to have a concussion?" Parker sat by Nate's feet.

"I don't know, Parker..."

 _If she didn't love me then why was she asking about my health. Maybe she didn't love me. Maybe she just cared because she had to. Like Dad..._

"How can you not know?" She pressed on. "I mean like, did it hurt or something?" Nate nodded without any emotion.

"Yes..." He covered his eyes with his hands as blurriness took over and blinded him.

Eliot brought the ice back to the living room and handed it to Nate, who took it without a thank you.

"Where's Sophie?" He breaths, unsteadily.

Eliot eyes Hardison and opens his mouth to speak but Parker beat him to it.

"She's still in France. She said the next flight is in two weeks but Hardison, Eliot, and I think she's just making excuses..."

 _Why would Sophie not want to be with me- Wait! Sterlings right! She doesn't love me! She doesn't love or care about me!_

"What? What do you mean?" Nate asked as he forced himself to sit up on the couch. Ignoring the pain he continues.

"She's still in France..." Hardison answered.

"No! I got to get to her...!" Nate got up with a little help from Parker.

"That's not a good idea, Nate. She's in France and you're in no shape to fly there." Nate ignored the Hitter and made his way to the door.

Before he could get to the door, Parker was in front, blocking the door.

"Parker...I need to leave. Get out of the way."

Parker shook her sadly.

"Nate, Sophie left..." Nate desperately tried to open the door but Parker wasn't budging.

"She-She left..." Nate stopped moving. His eyes fluttered back and Eliot immediately went to break Nate's fall.

"He fainted..." Parker spoke exasperatedly.


End file.
